In 18th century America, games and gambling were all the rage. This miniature game table, based off a c. 1770s Philadelphia Chippendale table, would have been perfect for tiny card games! Less than four inches tall, the table’s base was hand-carved by Wm. R. Robertson. The base, shaped from Swiss pear wood, features delicately curving ball-and-claw legs that support the functioning tilt-top surface.

Robertson’s mother, Esther Robertson, created the petit point stitched surface. Based on an Italian tapestry design, the tabletop consists of 33,000 stitches in 41 colors of silk thread. It took her three months to complete the design; when it was finished, she gave it to her son, who painstakingly attached it to the table. Esther Robertson was so nervous something would go wrong during the attachment process that she had to leave the house! Of course, the finished piece turned out beautifully, and the miniature game table is a testament to the amazing design and craftsmanship that goes into making a miniature.

Every stately New England home needs its share of sumptuous floor coverings. The Boston Beacon Hill House is no exception, even if it does measure 13 x 12 x 9 inches.Seattle needlecraft artist Ethel Forbes Harding designed and stitched the 40 count petit point rugs found gracing the floors of the minuscule mansion.Some of the carpets were even reproduced from designs found in the home of Claire Bagley Hammons, the art patron who owned the quarter scale house.

Like carpets in full-size homes, these creations add warmth and depth to each room.We wonder how long it took Mrs. Harding to complete each of the miniature floorings.That’s a lot of square feet, er, inches to cover!

Constructed with rich materials in fine detail, this miniature needlepoint mirror looks like it could play a part in a tiny version of Snow White. The mirror’s stitched frame by miniaturist Annelle Ferguson is based on traditional 17th century design and depicts a king and queen, flowers, vines, and a fawn. The tortoiseshell and boxwood outer frame was painstakingly constructed by William R. Robertson. We personally think this mirror is definitely in the running for “fairest of them all.”

How can miniature artists like Ferguson achieve such tiny needlepoint? Well, it’s simple mathematics (ok, plus a lot of talent). Miniature needlepoint or petit point takes the art form to a smaller level by using finer canvases with higher thread counts and by using specialized needles made for working on a fine scale. Sounds easy enough to start your own needlepoint project, right? Whatever you do, just be sure to finish it! Then again, maybe we should leave the stitchery up to the pros for now.

This 1/12 scale sewing casket was inspired by a full-size sewing casket at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London that dates to 1671. The original was made by an embroiderer named Martha Edlin—at the age of 11 no less—and was passed down through her family for over 300 years. Cases like this one were often used by wealthy women of the time to store jewelry, sewing implements, and personal belongings, sort of like a 17th century Caboodle (remember those?).

Our miniature version was constructed by William R. Robertson from pearwood and has steel hinges and a mirror on the inside of the lid. Esther Robertson and Annelle Ferguson (both a few years older than 11) meticulously stitched the 26 petit point panels that cover the wooden structure. The miniature contents include a tortoiseshell needle case, a thimble, and various other ivory and mother-of-pearl accoutrements.